This invention pertains to a sewer backflow prevention device which attaches to a sewer line via a sewer cleanout and allows for the discharge of backed up sewage should the sewer line become clogged.
In a building or other structure serviced via an underground sewer line, it sometimes occurs that the main sewer line or the branch line leading from the building to the main sewer line becomes clogged. This can be caused by many factors including broken or misaligned pipes. Such broken or misaligned pipes present projections, ridges or sharp bends on which bulk material hangs up and causes a nucleus for clogging. Other times roots from surface plants invade the pipes in search of moisture which may be leaking from poorly formed joints in the pipes and these roots also can form the nucleus of a clog in the pipe. Whatever the cause of the clog, the effect is that sewage becomes backed up in the line and eventually the backflow will overflow from the fixtures and drains in the building.
Modern sewer systems are equipped with clean out pipes or outlets. The cleanout is accomplished by inserting a Tee or Y-joint in the sewer line just outside the building. Leading from the Tee or Y-joint is a vertical or near vertical cleanout pipe which is capped or plugged near the ground surface. While this type of cleanout allows for access to the sewer line for removing a clog, it does not prevent the backflow of sewage through the sewer line which will eventually overflow from the fixtures or drain inside of the building.